Corn-harvester.



No. 734,800. PATENTBD JULY 2a, 1903.

1 c. & L. BEAUGHAMP.

001m HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1903- NO MODEL. 2 SHEETEl-SHEBT 1.

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No. 734,800 PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

R. c. & L. BEAUGHAMP.

001m HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED AYE. 9, 1903.

110mm. z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

U ITED STATES": PATENT Patented July- 28, 1903.

OFFICE.

' ROBERT o. BEAU'CTIAMP AND. LAFAYETTE BEAUOHAMP, or FALLS F ROUGH,KENTUCKY.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No. 73 ,8 dated J y 1903-Application filed April 9, 1903. Serial No. 151,900. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known thatwe, ROBERT 0. BEAT)- oHAMPand LAFAYETTE BEAUOHAMP,citizens of the United States, residing at Falls of Rough, in the countyof Grayson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and usefulCorn-Harvester,.of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to corn-harvesters of that class which cut orsever the stalks, receive the cut stalks in a receptacle, and when asufficient quantity has accumulated in the receptacle dump or depositthem upon the ground. r

Our invention has for its object to provide a corn-harvester of thisclass which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity,durability, and general efficiency; and with these ends inview theinvention consists in the improved construction, arrangemen-t, andcombination of parts, which shall be hereinafter fully described, andparticularlypointed ou'tin the claims. p In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan view of a corn-harvester constructed inaccordance with the principles of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same, taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1. i Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view. Fig; 5 is a detail sectionalview onthe line 5 5 in Fig. 3 to show the wheel 6 and related parts.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumeralsof reference.

The frame of our improved machine comprises a pair of side bars 1 1,connected near their front endsby cross-braces 2 and 3. Said side barsare provided with depending boxes 4, forming bearings for the axle 5,which is mounted .rotatably in said boxes and which I axle to rotate.

carries the wheels 6 and 7, the former of which is mounted loosely uponsaid axle, but is provided with a spring-actuated pawl 8, which engagesa ratchet-wheel 9, fixedly mounted upon the axle, so that when themachine is propelled in a forward direction rotary motion shall beimparted to the axle, while the machine may be backed without causingthe 1 0 10 designate a pair of tongue-bars which iextend forwardly fromthe cross-bars 2 and 3, which are connected thereby, and thesetongue-bars also serve as guide-bars for the orcu tter-bar 12, ispreferably supported upon 'a platform 13, which is verticallyadjustable, so that the corn may be out at various .dis-

tances above the ground.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown the said platform as beingmounted slidably upon four supports or uprights 14, means for adj u st-,ment being provided in the shape of a pinion upon a crank-shaft l6 andengaging a rackbar 17, depending from the under side of the platformcarrying the cutting apparatus. We desire it, however, to be understoodthat any 1 other suitable means within the scope of our invention may beemployed forefiecting the vertical adjustment of the cutting apparatus.

The forwardly-extending guide-bars 10 are provided with guard-rails 18,whichmayconsist of iron rods having downturned frontand rear endsconnected, respectively, with the front ends of the guide-bars 10 andwith the cross bar or brace 3. Said downturned rear ends may be utilizedtoform two of the upright guides 14, the additional guides being mountedin the cross-bar 2 and connected at their upper ends with the rails 18.These rails serve to assist in guiding the corn to the cutting apparatusand to the reel 19, which consists of cross-bars extending horizontallythrough a shaft 20, mounted vertically in the cross-brace 2 and providedat its lower end with a pulley 21, which is connected by a band 22 witha pulley upon the axle 5, from ed upon a shaft 27, having at its rearenda i pinion 28, meshing with a bevel-gear 29' upon the wheel 7.

cross-braces 2 and 3 is a rearwardly-extending beam 30, the front end ofwhich may be recessed in one side thereof, as shown at 31, for thepurpose of guiding the rack-bar 17, engaging the pinion 15. Said beam30, as will be seen in the drawings, is curved or extended upwardly atits front end, so as to locate the body of said beam in a lower planethan would otherwise be the case. The rear end of the beam supports aswiveled draw-bar 32, carrying a trail-wheel 33.

One of the side pieces 1 of the frame supports a longitudinal rail 34,which is connected therewith by means of braces 35, said rail beingconnected with the beam 30 by means of suitably-spaced curved slats 36,which cooperate to form one side of a cradle for supporting the cornafter it has been cut. The other side of the cradle is formed of aplurality of curved slats 36, connecting a lower and an upper rail 37and 38 and provided .'with bearings 39, whereby they are mounted theunder side of one of the straps 36 and the other against the upper sideof the frame-piece 1*, thereby tending to maintain the lower part of theswinging cradle-section normally in a raised position and in contactwith the adjacent side of the beam 30. Upon the under side of thelatteris provided a latching device comprising a rod 43, ofspring-steel, the ends of which are securely attached to the under sideof said beam, with which it is additionally connected byintermediately-disposed keepers 44. Said steel rod is provided withloops 45, that extend outwardly beyond the edge of the beam 30 andserving to support the rail 37 of the swinging cradle member. The rod 43is also provided with an oppositely-extending loop 46,

which is connected by a cord or flexible member47, passing over asuitably-disposed guidepulley 48, with the crank 49 of a rock-shaft 5Osuitably disposed in front of the drivers seat 51 and having a treadle52, by pressure upon which the supporting latches or loops 45 may bewithdrawn from under the rail 37 of the swinging cradle member, thuscausing the latter to tilt under the weight of the corn contained in thecradle, so as to deposit the corn upon the ground, after which theaction of the spring 41 will restore the swinging cradle-section toengagement with the loops or latches 45, whereby it is supported untilanotherload has accumulated.

' Whiffletrees 53 for the attachment of the draft are suitably connectedwith the front side of the front cross-brace 2, and links 54, likewisefor the attachment of the draft-animals, are provided at the forwardends of the tongue-bars 10. 4

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawingshereto annexed, the operation and advantages of our invention will bereadily understood. When the machine progresses over the field, the rowof corn will be guided between the tongue-bars of guide-bars 10 to thecutting apparatus, where the stalks are severed and caused by the reelto be tilted rearwardlyinto the cradle. When a load has beenaccumulated, the driver by simply pressing upon the treadle 52 mayrelease the swinging section of the treadle, thus causing the load to bedeposited upon the ground, the spring 41 serving toinstantly restore theswinging cradle-section to its normal position.

We desire it to be understood that while we have in the foregoing shownand described a simple and preferred form of our invention we do notlimit ourselves to lhe structural details herein set forth, but reservethe right to any changes, alterations, or modifications within the scopeof our invention which may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing the utility of the same.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. In a corn-harvester, aframe'comprising side pieces, a pair of cross-pieces connecting saidside pieces near their front ends and forwardly-extending guide-bars,cutting apparatus disposed at the rear ends of said guidebars, andguard-rails having depending ends connected, respectively with the frontends of the guide-bars and with the rear connecting-bar of the mainframe.

2. In a corn-harvester, a frame having side pieces, and cross-piecesconnecting said side pieces near their front ends, a rearwardlyextendingbeam secured to the under sides of said cross-braces, a rail, bracketsconnecting said rail with one of the side pieces of the frame, curvedstraps connecting said rail with the rearwardly-extending center beam, aswinging cradle-section having hinged connection with relation to theopposite side beam'of the frame, and means for supporting saidcradle-section normally in a raised position.

3. In a corn-harvester, the combination of a frame having side piecesconnected by transverse braoes, a beam extending rearwardly from theunder side of said transverse braces, cutting apparatus supported uponthe upper side of said cross-braces, and a cradle having a hingedsection connected with one of the side beams of the frame and providedwith spring means for retaining it normally in a raised position.

4. In a corn-harvester, a frame comprising side pieces and cross-piecesconnecting the same near their front ends, guide-bars extendingforwardly from said cross-pieces, guard rails having downturned endsconnected with the front ends of the guide-bars and with the rearcross-brace of the frame, braces connecting said guard-rails with theguide-bars,' a platform vertically slidable upon the said braces andupon the down turned rear ends of the guard-rails, cutting apparatussupported on said platform, and

means for effecting vertical adjustment of a the latter.

5. In a corn-harvester, a frame comprising side pieces connected neartheir front ends by cross-bars, a beam secured to the under sides of andextending rearwardly from said cross-bars, guide-bars extendingforwardly from, and connectingsaid crossbars,guardrails havingdownturned rear ends connected with the rear cross-bar and downtu rnedfront ends connected with the front ends of the guide-bars, bracesconnecting said guardrails with the guide-bars, a platform verticallyslidable upon said braces and upon the downturned-rear ends of theguard-rails, cutting apparatus supported upon said platform, I

a rack-bar extending downwardly from the latter, a crank-shaft journaledin the guidebars, a pinion upon said shaft engaging the rack-barextending downwardly from the cutter-carrying platform, and means forconveying motion to the cutting apparatusfrom the source of power.

6. In a corn-harvester, a wheel-supported frame comprising side membersand crossbars connecting the same, a beam connected with the under sidesof said cross-bars and extending rearwardly therefrom, a rail, curvedslats connecting said beam with said rail and constituting a stationarycradle-section, a

cradle-section connected hingedly with one of the side members of theframe and comprising upper and lower rails connected by curved slats,spring means for retaining said hinged cradle-section normally in aclosed In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we havehereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

- .ROBERT C. BEAUOHAMP.

LAFAYETTE BEAUCHAMP.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. EVANS, RoBT. S. GREEN.

